Enjoying the Whitsundays

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We have been staying at the Big 4 Whitsunday Park at Cannonvale, just out of Airlie Beach. We like staying here because it's out of the busyness but handy to shops and transport and Airlie Beach is the jumping off place to cruise around some of the 74 Whitsunday Islands.

Yesterday we picked up a bus at 7am and were taken to Shute Harbour to catch our boat. This firstly took us to Hamilton Island, privately owned and quite upmarket - on the way we were thrilled to see a whale - we thought we were too late to see them so far north. We spent time at Hamilton mostly just wandering around the shops and art galleries and looking at the big boats in the harbour. We caught a free bus to one of the resorts to have coffee by their pool - last year we hired a kayak there, thrilled to see turtles swimming underneath the boat. There is a new yacht club being built at the marina, large and imposing but not quite finished.

Whilst we were served a BBQ lunch on board, the boat then took us to beautiful Whitsunday Island itself, or more specifically Whitehaven Beach there. This beach is a 7 klm stretch of pure white 99% silica sand and the water a lovely turqoise. We were taken ashore and spent a happy couple of hours walking the beach, swimming in the warm water, chatting and watching all the more energetic playing beach games.

We were taken back to Shute Harbour and then back to the caravan park after 5pm, a long but great day.

Today we went to Airlie Markets. We usually love them but this year they were much smaller with less to buy. We had a good look around and then walked along the waterfront - more camels taking people for rides along the beach. Further along the grassy park near the water is the big lagoon - a great pool, really two pools joined. They have little sandy beaches each end and the grassy grounds contain many tropical plants and palms. We once more didn't have our cossies with us.

We sat in the shade and watched for awhile and then caught the bus home for lunch. We'll spend the afternoon lazing around or swimming in the pool at the caravan park - it's a lovely hot day.

** HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY TO ALEX - I HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT DAY! XX

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Photos

Hamilton Is - coffee at the resort
and the little beach from where we kayaked last year

Hamilton Is Yacht Club
not quite sure what it's supposed to represent, the roof is like a whale's tail

Whitehaven beach
the other direction

Airlie pool
.. there's a sand beach each end

Airlie Pool
the other, shallower, end

The caravan park pool
Toddlers pools on the left and a bigger one to the right